Vegetable Patch Cultivation Start Up
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010It is very enjoyable to learn how to grow a vegetable garden. It is good exercise and the home grown food tastes better than something bought in a store. You also know precisely what has gone into the produce. A veg plot calls for assorted tasks for which you will require the right gear. The basics will be adequate and these are a rake, trowel, spade, hoe and a fork. It is usually best to get good quality brand names. Others may cost less but they’re less likely to last as long. A barrow is also of use and a watering can. Sometimes, there are drought orders and it’s a good idea to have a couple of rain butts. If you’re beginning your vegetable plot from scratch and it is a substantial area, you may want to use a rotary cultivator to do the digging for you. It will save you lots of time and a sore back. They can be leased if you don’t want to purchase one.
To begin with, you should locate and map out your design. Planting vegetables should be rotated to keep the ground healthy. Employ a soil tester in order to see which type of soil your yard has. This is important as different kinds of soil demand different ways of dealing with it. Your soil might be heavy clay, light, sandy, chalky or alkaline. This also affects what type of veggies you can produce in the veg garden, as plants react differently to different soil types.
The soil will need breaking up so the seeds can get settled and so water and air can get through. Unless the ground is especially hard, you can a spade rather than a fork. Remove the weeds and add fertilizer or manure. It’s a good idea to create a compost bin near the vegetable plot. This will become a free source of nutritious food for the soil.
Once you have prepared the area and fed the soil, you’re ready to start planting and sowing. Divide the vegetable patch between root crops, brassica and others. Root crops can include potatoes, carrots, swede, beetroot and onions. Brassicas include such veg as sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale. That leaves veggies such as beans, squash, peas, sweet corn and salad plants like lettuce and cucumbers.
You could start off some crops growing beneath a cloche or in a conservatory, especially if you live in an area where there is a lot of windy or cold weather. Make sure you keep on top of the watering and weeding. Many gardeners find it helpful to put up a wall chart and plan out the jobs in the vegetable garden, month by month. In the shortest of times you will know how to grow a vegetable garden.














